CFR > Title 5 - Administrative Personnel > CHAPTER I—OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT > SUBCHAPTER B—CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (parts 110 to 990) > PART 534—PAY UNDER OTHER SYSTEMS > SUBPART E—Pay for Senior-Level and Scientific and Professional Positions (§534.501 to §534.506) > 534.503—Pay setting.

534.503—Pay setting.

(a) Each agency with positions subject to this subpart shall establish written procedures for setting the pay of incumbents of the positions in accordance with the provisions of law and OPM regulations. The head of each agency, or his or her designee, shall set the rate of pay of individuals under this subpart in accordance with the agency's written procedures.
(b) The agency's written procedures shall include—
(1) A description of the structure of the pay system;
(2) The criteria that will be used to assign rates of pay to individual employees;
(3) The 12-month waiting period on pay adjustments, as provided in paragraph (c) of this section;
(4) The designation of the official or officials who will have authority to set pay; and
(5) The management controls that will be applied to assure compliance with the procedures and a reasonable distribution of pay within the pay range.
(c) Pay of an individual may not be adjusted more than once in any 12-month period.
(1) A pay adjustment includes the assignment of a pay rate upon initial appointment.
(2) An annual adjustment in pay under § 534.504 of this subpart shall not be considered a pay adjustment under this paragraph if it does not exceed the greater of the annual General Schedule adjustment under 5 U.S.C. 5303 or the Executive Schedule adjustment under 5 U.S.C. 5318 effective the same date.
(3) Pay of an SL or ST employee transferring from another agency, or a military department, may be set at any rate. If the pay does not exceed the employee's former rate, the pay action does not start a new 12-month period.
(d) Any reduction in the basic pay of an individual is subject to the provisions of subparts C and D of part 752 of this chapter.

Code of Federal Regulations

[56 FR 18662, Apr. 23, 1991, as amended at 57 FR 10125, Mar. 24, 1992; 66 FR 66711, Dec. 27, 2001]